A little Strange
by Manny Maarie
Summary: When her powers are discovered after a debilitating accident, Stefani's world is thrown upside down. Now she must not only learn to control her abilities, but also possibly be forced to face the greatest threat human kind has ever created: The Hulk. Takes place one year after the events in "The Avengers". Bruce x OC. Pepper x Tony.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Well, here I am again. It's been a while, but Fanfiction has sucked me in once again. None of this belongs to me, any original twist and turns on the material, however, is my own. On top of the Marvel Cinematic Universe materials, fans of the Hulk comic series will most likely recognize a few characters and story lines.

This is in no way related to my other fanfiction "After the Storm". Sorry if you are/were a fan, I'm afraid Clara doesn't show up in this one. But I really hope you'll enjoy Stefani!

And last, but not least, a million thanks to Mara, my ever-present friend and beta reader. I would be lost without you.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

In a small and dark loft in New York city, Stefani Seltsam lashed out in her sleep, afflicted by nightmares which were not her own. In her torment, her arm swung out violently against her bedside table sending an empty sleeping pill bottle clattering on the ground where it rolled under the bed, joining another dozen bottles just like it.

When the pale light of winter dawn seeped through her windows and three alarm clocks began chiming simultaneously, Stefani's blue sunken eyes fluttered open. She attempted to slam the offending noise away, but her hand slammed flat against the empty surface of the table. All three alarms had been set on the ground far away from arm's reach. She glared at their mocking chirping neon numbered faces.

"Verpisst euch!" she swore and turned away, pulling her thick duvet over her head.

Five minutes later another two alarm clocks on the other side of the bed under the window screamed to life. The cacophony lasted another ten minutes until she stood, stark naked, and stomped on each device in turn.

Scratching at her disheveled blond hair, she stumbled through the apartment toward her bathroom door. On the way she avoided paint buckets, drying canvases, abandoned brushes and stacks of books and magazines piled around the room. Stopping in the bathroom's doorway, Stefani gave her home a quick glance and smiled; her mother dearest would have a heart attack at the sight of such a disorderly household

It was too bad she refused to visit.

She proceeded to scrub the remaining flecks of paint from her hands and arms, noticing the growing purple bruise on her arm. It was merely the newest of many self-inflicted wounds she received in her sleep and she was thankful that her heavy medication prevented her from knowing which exact traumatizing vision had caused it. At least she had not scratched her face open this time.

When finally she felt refreshed enough to face the day, she stepped into a horribly stained jump suit, pulled on her winter boots, and made her way toward her destination with a suitcase of supplies she refused to leave on location.

Stark Tower.

She had been spending every day of the last twelve weeks cooped up inside the new memorial hall-to-be on the first floor of the tower. It was not the first time she had done commissioned work for Pepper, but this was definitely the biggest and most important piece of her career so far. And she was both thankful and humbled that her friend had thought of her for the job.

It was below freezing temperatures today, but despite the cold the streets were jam-packed with people hoping to get their last-minute Christmas shopping completed. The pavement was covered with a patches of black ice and more than once on her way to the subway station she lost her footing. She would not want to be driving on the roads on such a day. Already she had passed by two major accident scenes.

The trains were crammed full, even more than usual, and as always it was an uncomfortable ride for Stefani. Though she did her best to ignore it and make herself smaller than she already was, she could not completely prevent herself from noticing the odd powerful energy fields certain people carried about themselves. It was worse around the holidays, both because everyone was unknowingly much closer to their spiritual selves and also because Stefani herself was troubled by her own memories of Christmas past.

She would be happier once January was here.

Walking briskly out into Grand Central she bumped into a man and for a moment she was transported out of her body and into a space filled with signing choirs and the smell of freshly baked bread.

She felt inexplicably safe and comforted, certain that everything would be fine.

"I'm so sorry, Miss. Are you alright?" the man grabbed her arm to steady her.

Torn abruptly from the man's daydream, Stefani blinked and shook her head to clear it. She looked up at the man's collar, a preacher. They were always the worse. "I am alright. My apologies, good day," and she ran off, still shaken by the vision.

It was a bad start to the day. Still, she plastered a smile on her face as she entered the tower's lobby.

"Good morning Miss Seltsam," the security guard said as she flashed her security badge to access the rest of the first floor.

"Good morning, James. And merry Christmas," she responded and made her way straight to her work station.

The large room had been sealed off to everyone except herself since she had begun painting. The memorial hall was meant to become a public place honoring the victims and heroes of the Battle of New York. It would open early in the new year, almost a year after the devastating event.

Three huge blocks of uneven concrete which had been knocked off various buildings during the attack occupied the middle of the room. Thin sheets of plastic danced about as she entered the room, covering the engraved names of hundreds of people who had perished in the event.

Photos taken that day decorated three of the walls. They covered most of the time frame of the battle, from the opening of the wormhole, to the cleaning up which followed. The fourth and largest wall was where her work could be seen. A huge mural in honor of the heroes who had saved the day: Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor, Captain America and Hulk.

This last one was where the final brushstrokes would be applied today, finalizing the image and marking the day the hall could be opened to the public. She had purposefully left him for last, though the body was already finished, Stefani was struggling with his face. Multiple images existed of the group of superheroes, but none she had found had been able to take a proper photo of the Hulk's face.

She supposed no one had thought to ask the green monstrosity to sit and pose for them during the heart of an alien invasion.

Still, this left her with the difficult task of having to make artistic choices on an existing creature which her employers most likely knew very well. And so she pulled up her thinking chair, placed it directly in front of the Hulk, and sat down.

She stayed in this position for hours, searching. Mostly she looked inside her own mind and memories for something which would fit, but after coming up with nothing she extended her range. It was not easy to find something in broad daylight, less so in Stark Tower where everyone was busy working and focusing on their worldly jobs, most of which had to do with engineering.

Her abilities were not suited to science and technology.

She was about to give up and attempt to simply wing it, when she caught onto the tendrils of a fleeting daydream. It was quick, momentary, and likely involuntary. But more than enough for her.

Stefani immediately climbed halfway up her ladder, paint brush in hand, and started working.

There were no windows in the hall, nothing to take away from the solemn scenes of destruction. And nothing to indicate how much time she had been working. This was something she had grown used to in the past few weeks, and was actually happy with. She was immensely engrossed in herself when she painted and did not welcome distractions of any kind.

"Na endlich. Willkommen Herr Hulk."

Whipping away a strand of hair which has escaped her bun, she climbed back down and took a few steps back to stare at her work.

"JARVIS?" she called out to the empty room.

The disembodied voice of the AI echoed back, "Yes, Miss Seltsam?"

"Is Pepper currently in the building?"

"Should I convey a message?"

"Yes, please tell her that I have finished. She can come and see the mural."

Not five minutes later the doors to the hall were thrown open and Pepper walked in, wide eyed.

"Stefani, it's absolutely stunning."

Stefani turned and smiled at her friend, "Thank you. It did indeed turn out quite nicely, if I may say so myself."

The redhead nodded as she strode further into the room, the sound of her heels echoing loudly against the dark marble floor, "You can say even more than that. Although…"

Stefani felt her heart skip a beat, "What is it, do you see a problem?"

Pepper took a few more steps and lifted her head to have a better view, "Oh no, no. It's perfect. Just that, the way you painted Hulk's eyes. They don't look like eyes that would belong to a crazed beast," she gave Stefani a curious look over her shoulder.

She pondered her answer for a moment, "I don't believe a beast would have saved all those people. A good man would, though. Do you not think?

Her friend gave her a glinting smile, "I do indeed. Come on, let's get some champagne to celebrate."

Stefani shook her head and indicated her soiled outfit, "It would be a pleasure, but I am afraid I am not quite suited for the occasion. I will drip paint everywhere."

There were no mirrors here, but she could feel that her clumsy hair bun was about to fall apart and she did not want to think about how many shades of the rainbow she had managed to smear on her face today. Not that it mattered much to her in the heat of creativity, but she would much rather be able to clean up if proper celebration was to be had.

"Nonsense, you deserve it!" the taller woman approached her and placed one perfectly manicured hand on her arm, "I insist."

"Pepper, truly. It was a long and trying day. I would not be good company."

"Trust me, you're a huge step up from Tony. Plus, there is someone I'd like you to meet. Please."

With a defeated sigh that caused the business woman to chuckle, Stefani nodded. "But only one drink. And I insist on visiting your bathroom first, please."

"Deal! JARVIS, tell Tony I'm bringing up Stefani for dinner."

"Of course, Miss Potts," echoed the disjointed voice of the AI.

Stefani was about to protest that dinner was absolutely unacceptable in her current state, but Pepper had already taken her by the arm and was leading her away. Mumbling in German under her breath, she threw one last satisfied glance over her shoulder at the immortalized group of superheroes, before abandoning herself to her friend's whims.

As was customary for most Americans Stefani had met since moving to the country, Pepper chatted away the entire trip from the memorial hall on level one, to the top most floor of Stark Tower. She was used to a quieter, more structured conversation, but for her friend she always made an effort. She answered most of Pepper's questions, and even managed to make a passing comment on the weather: It was cold.

"I know, absolutely freezing. Honestly I could just skip away down south for winter, you know? I just hate having to deal with all this ice, and snow, and don't get me started on winter clothes shopping!"

When the door to the elevator finally opened, Stefani's clean-up-first plan vanished. Occupying the lounge was none other than Tony Stark himself, accompanied by a man she did not know.

Passing a quick hand over her hair, a move which gained her a "you look fine" nudge from Pepper, she had no choice but to walk inside and hope for the best.

It was not her first visit into Pepper's home, but every time she walked in she could not help being impressed. The fireplace was ablaze in the center of the room, the furniture was chic yet practical and the entire decor was one of cozy comfort.

"Ah, Pepper, Stefani! JARVIS advised me to take out our best champagne, and since our favourite artist is with you, I'm guessing I can finally walk into my own memorial hall again? Hmm? Not kidding," he turned toward his violet attired guest, "I've been banned from entering that room since the work began. They even got JARVIS working against me!"

"We wouldn't have had to if you hadn't tried to sneak in. Stefani was very clear from the beginning, you don't see it til it's done."

"Sure right, fine. I kinda get that, you know. I'm an artist myself in a way. But what would you say if I just locked you out of my lab for weeks!"

"You do."

Tony's mouth opened to speak, then he seemed to think better of it, and plastered a huge smile on his lips instead. Beside him the curly haired man with hands stuffed deep in his pants pockets was biting down on a smirk.

Tony's moment of silence was short-lived however, "Well, this isn't about me anyways. Here, Bruce, I'd like you to meet Stefani Seltsam. Stefani, Doctor Bruce Banner, resident genius. Well, other than myself, of course. Well, will be resident. He just came back, for his birthday!"

The doctor pulled out one hand and extended it toward her, "The birthday was yesterday. Pleasure to meet you. I've seen your work around the Tower. I admire your passion."

He never directly looked at her, instead keeping his eyes lowered but his smile genuine.

"Thank you, and happy belated birthday. I apologize for my attire. Pepper insisted on my immediate presence."

Had she been tricked into attending a stranger's birthday dinner? She had no present, no knowledge of the man. Feeling even more uncomfortable, she flinched when Tony grabbed her hand.

"You look great," he said, "The paint accentuates your bone structure beautifully."

"Tony! I swear… Come on Stefani, let's get you to the bathroom."

Once again she was herded by Pepper before she could react. The woman told her that they would be getting ready for dinner, and produced a couple of towels and cloths for her to wash up beforehand. All the while insisting that, of course, Stefani looked fine.

She did not.

Three long strips of green descended along her right cheek, spots of brown dotted her forehead, and her neck was smudged with black. There were more stray hairs sticking out of her bun than there were still attached to it, and she yanked at the elastic viciously.

Knowing it would be rude to take hours to properly clean up, and even worse to skip away, Stefani resigned herself to scrubbing the biggest stains and tamed her hair into a clumsy braid. Unbuttoning the top of her jumpsuit, she shrugged out of the long sleeves and tied them around her waist. The black t-shirt underneath was nothing fancy, but at least it was free of paint.

Her nails were a lost cause however and she cringed at the thought of eating with such soiled fingers. Picking up the now multi-coloured towels and throwing them in the laundry bin, she gave herself one last look over before joining the others.

Sounds of conversation emanated from the adjoined dining room and Stefani slowly walked over. One of her first commissioned works for Tony was hanging in the dining room, "paint something you would want to look at," he had told her over the phone before screaming at a character named Dummy and abruptly hanging up on her.

So she'd painted the Außenalster; a lake smack in the middle of the city where she had grown up.

No one got up when she entered the room.

Tony turned his head and ran his eyes over her body, "Wow, you clean up good. The green suited you though, didn't you think so, Bruce?"

The other man looked away and shook his head with a smile, though Stefani could not tell if he was annoyed, shy or exasperated. The only seat available was next to the uncomfortable doctor, and she stepped closer to it, waiting for a second before pulling out the chair herself and sitting down.

Tony reached across the table to fill her glass with champagne before lifting his own glass, "To Stefani, who, again, did an amazing job. At least I think she did. We have to trust Pepper on this one. Did she?"

The redhead rolled her eyes, "To Stefani!"

She attempted to make eye contact with each person, but this turned out to be impossible with Bruce who appeared entranced by the tablecloth.

As she had come to expect from Tony and Pepper, dinner was a non-stop chatter affair. Stefani and her neighbour both ate their food as silently as possible. Exhaustion was slowly seeping into her bones, and she was not surprised to note on a nearby clock that it was nearing eight o'clock when dessert was served.

By this time Tony had consumed most of the bottle of champagne with Pepper's help. Bruce had not taken a single extra sip since the toast, and Stefani's own glass was still half full from the first filling. She began to think about her bed. Shower first though, a long hot shower. Then bed.

She looked down and flexed her fingers, her wrist was acting up again.

"Carpal tunnel?"

She turned, surprised, toward Bruce who looked at her for a brief moment before lowering his eyes to her shoulders, "Yes. It has afflicted me a few years now."

"I hope it's not preventing you from painting."

"Not yet, no. I am seeing doctors already, to keep it under control. I cannot think of anything worse than the inability to paint."

He scoffed at this before turning away and continuing his napkin origami. It was beginning to look like a bird. She shook her head at the sheer oddness of the man, before turning back to her own plate and noticing that both Tony and Pepper were staring at them intensly.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

Tony grinned, Pepper nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, Stefani frowned.

"You must be wanting to get back home," Pepper said.

She nodded, "It has been an exhausting day."

"No, wait! You can't leave without showing me the mural!"

"Tony, we live here. You can go see it tomorrow."

"That's not the same. Come on, just a trip down. Bruce, you too."

"I don't know Tony, if Stefani wants to go home-"

But Tony had already stood up and was walking away, leaving Pepper to give her an apologetic glance before following him. Stefani watched Bruce crumble the napkin in his large fist, sigh, become aware he was being watched and turn to her with a small smile.

"There's no getting through to him."

"This, I have noticed."

They pushed away from the table simultaneously, and hurried after the couple.

The elevator ride was quiet this time. A solemn Tony led the way to the hall, paused in front of the door, before giving the group a wink and pushing the doors open. At once the lights turned on, illuminating a scene of devastation, death and heroes.

"Oh," was all Tony said as he stepped around the concrete blocks toward the wall. Stefani stayed behind as Bruce and Pepper also joined him. Unsurprisingly, Tony went straight for the middle of the piece, where Iron Man could be seen flying straight up toward the portal, nuclear device on his back. Pepper walked the length of the wall, arms crossed tightly against her chest.

Bruce froze in front of the Hulk.

The huge green man was depicted back to back with Thor, both looking worn but determined. After a long moment, he turned toward Stefani stared straight into her eyes, seeking. She felt a shiver run down her spine as a powerful force seem to suddenly invade her mind.

The rush of energy caused her to sway on her feet. Bruce moved faster than she could have anticipated, catching her as her hand missed the doorway for support.

"Tony!" Pepper called out as she spotted the doctor helping Stefani regain her footing.

Pushing through overwhelming panic, she forced a smiled, "It is only exhaustion. I need to go home."

Bruce was peering into her face, and she avoided his eyes. Her head felt hot now, flowing with thoughts and ideas she did not want. Her semblance of control she had thought to have gained over the past few months crumbled, and the usually suppressed slivers of magic reached out and attempted to do what they did best: ruin her life.

As Tony lay a hand on her shoulder, the lights in the room flickered. Stefani's eyes widened and she again reiterated the need to go home.

"JARVIS, get my car in front of the building please. Now."

"Yes, sir."

Pepper was now at their side, "Maybe it's best if you stay here, or visit a doctor?"

"No, please. Thank you. But I am really fine. Simply tired."

"I'll take her to the car," Bruce announced and began to guide her toward the exit.

Though his presence unnerved her, she was grateful for the support of his arm and his help in retrieving her things from a confused receptionist whose phone lights kept going on and off. Stefani focused on dressing, putting on her coat, scarf and gloves, but her mind kept going back to the eyes.

After Bruce bid her goodnight, she ran for the car parked at the entrance and jumped in the back seat.

The driver sped off, not bothering to ask for her address which JARVIS must have already programmed in the car.

As buildings whizzed by, Stefani squeezed her head with both hands. Pain which was not hers and sorrow so deep she thought ready to drown, looped around over and over. Images of deaths and the overwhelming feeling of guilt.

And the eyes, The Hulk's eyes.

"What the fuck-" The driver screamed before the car swerved into the oncoming traffic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Thanks everyone for the reviews! Always nice to hear your thoughts on the story or even just a "great job". Makes my day every time ^^

I'm hoping to get one chapter out every weekend. Unless life gets too crazy, in which case, apologies for any delay.

**Chapter 2**

_The small bushy haired boy pushed his train around the living room, glee plastered on his tiny face. The battered toy looked ready to fall apart under the enthusiastic treatment, but it held on, as good toys always did._

_A crashing noise and the scream of a woman pierced the household silence. Without hesitating, the boy dropped his beloved engine and ran to hide behind the couch. An instant later the heavy sounds of footsteps could be heard approaching, heralding the man who finally burst into the room, scowl firmly in place._

_"Bruce! Where are you, you little piece of shit?" the man stomped inside, seeking. The tip of his foot bumped against the choo-choo train and the toy emitted a wheezing sound in an attempt to distract the man long enough for the boy to escape._

_But the toy's plan failed as the man cursed, picked up the engine, and threw it clean across the room. It shattered against the wall, wheels flying past the crouching boy who sprung from his hiding place in outrage._

_"THAT WAS MINE!"_

_The man's lips curled into a cruel smile as he stepped forward, hand outstretched toward his prey._

_In the far back corner of the room, a dark figure grinned at the scene, shadows dancing at his feet and malicious eyes staring directly at Stefani._

* * *

She awoke panting and covered in a sheen of sweat. Disoriented, she attempted to sit up, but her whole body screamed in pain. Her confusion quickly evolved to panic and the sounds of beeping machines erupted around her.

A door to her left was thrown open and the dark room was flooded with blinding white light.

"Miss Seltsam, you're fine. You're in the hospital! You're alright. My name is Sam, I'm going to give you something for the pain now, just lie back. You'll be ok," the nurse produced a syringe from a nearby locked drawer and pushed its content into her IV.

Within seconds she felt the worse of the pain vanish, leaving behind numbed limbs.

"What happened?" her voice sounded hoarse, she tried to clear it, but only succeeded in giving herself a coughing fit.

The nurse materialized a glass of water which he brought to Stefani's lips. The injured woman attempted to lift her hands to grab the drink, but froze when she noticed that both her arms were encased in casts up to her elbows. She looked at the man, wide-eyed.

"Have a sip," he commanded and Stefani took two large gulps before staring at him once more. "You were in a car crash. Just about a week ago."

"A week?", she croaked, "My insurance will not-"

"Miss Potts has attended to the medical bill. No need to worry about that."

"My hands," she examined the thick plaster circling her lower arms, opening up around her wrist where her fingers were individually supported from below. Multiple wires sprung from her digits and were anchored to a metal bar protruding from the cast.

The nurse turned on the lamp on her bedside table, "I will get the doctor. She can better explain your current condition, and what to expect in the next few weeks. I'll only be gone a few minutes."

She nodded and watched him walk out at a brisk pace. Silence fell around her, making her realize that she was in a private room. A large private room. She thought back to the most recent memories she had. Stark Tower, finishing the mural, being completely exhausted, and Bruce Banner.

"Scheiße!" she hissed as she realized that the most likely cause of the accident was herself and her outburst.

It had been a while since she had experienced an episode this intense. She had thought herself over the worst part of it, convincing herself that it had all just been a phase to grow out of. That she had managed a semblance of control over her unnatural abilities.

Staring at her mangled and swollen hands now, she wondered if leaving the confines of her prison had been a mistake after all.

A slender woman appeared in the room, approached the bed and picked up her chart.

"Miss Seltsam, I'm Dr Nandan. How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"How's the pain?"

"It is manageable, now. Thank you."

The doctor sifted through the papers for a moment before placing the chart back in its place and crossing her arms over her chest, "Miss Seltsam, do you remember being in a car accident?" She waited until Stefani nodded, "Your hands were jammed between two cars for an extended period. I'm afraid that the prognosis is not good. We've reconstructed what we could, but there is a long road ahead of you. And even with the best treatment and physiotherapy, chances are very slim that you will regain the full use of your fingers again. Do you understand?"

Stefani closed her eyes as the woman finished speaking. It seemed like an eternity until she felt able to open them again, and she was surprised to see doctor Nandan still standing over her. She uttered the only words that made sense to her at that moment, "The driver? The others, in the cars?"

"Minor injuries only. They were sent home already. Miss Seltsam, is there anyone we can call? You had no emergency contact, and no one has come by aside from Miss Potts and company. If you give me a name, I can arrange to get in contact with -"

"No," she whispered, annoyed that her voice cracked and her eyes stung, "There is no one here."

The woman pursed her lips and nodded. She turned to leave, but stopped, "He told me you were a painter… I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

And with that she left, closing the door behind her as she went.

Stefani felt her throat burn and her chest shake with suppressed sobs.

Thirty years of captivity, and when finally she managed to make it out, she destroys her life. Oh how her mother would be amused to see her now. But no, she was alone, and had she not wanted it that way?

Except that now as hot tears she could not even wipe streamed down her cheeks she found herself thinking about her family. Her self-absorbed brother who had never once strayed from the beaten path, becoming a lawyer as had been planned since his birth.

Her three sisters, who had shunned and mocked her abnormality as children and had been glad to see her locked up as adults. All three having gone out and married rich old men in an exact duplicate existence of their mother's.

Her father, a stern man who had been content to let his wife run the household while he pranced around with his group of identical friends living in a fantasy of German aristocracy long ago dead to the real world.

And her mother. And evil crone who would most likely have disposed of Stefani at the first signs of her magical powers had she not been such a coward; afraid of what the neighbours would say if they found out.

The front of her gown was now well and properly soaked in tears. She brushed her face against her shoulder to try and clean up most of the mess, but could not quite manage everything. And blowing her nose was out of the question. A feeling of helplessness began to settle in her mind, bringing up fresh tears as she thought about what the upcoming months had in store for her.

When the door to her room opened and Bruce Banner stepped in, coffee in hand, she felt her heart drop. Their eyes locked for a moment, before he turned his head toward the corridor, then back into the room, "I thought you were still sleeping. I'll leave."

"Warte!" she said in German, and bit down on her lip, unsure on how to complete her needs without sounding absolutely pathetic.

The man did not move for a moment, "Pepper had to leave and visit her family for Christmas."

"Christmas?"

Bruce pulled back the sleeve of his left hand to check his watch before nodding and looking back at her with a smile, "Since about two hours now. Merry Christmas…"

She tried to return the smile and swallow back her sorrow, but silent tears bulged and rolled down her face regardless. Stefani groaned and wiped her face against her shoulders. When she looked up again, the doctor had closed the door and was approaching her bed.

"I'm afraid I didn't get you anything," he started, transferring his cup from one hand to the other, "And you're not allowed coffee."

She scoffed, "I have also nothing."

"May I sit down?"

Stefani nodded and watched as he moved to a chair on the other side, and pulled it closer to the bed, placing his cup on her night table before sitting down. She noticed magazines stacked near the chair and wondered how long he had been sitting with her. Behind him the curtains were pulled over darkened windows and the only light in the room came from a the lamp over her bed.

"Why are you here?"

He snorted, "I think I was tricked, really. Pepper said she had errands to run and asked for my help. She ended up dropping me here, and asking that I stay around while she flew out for a day."

"Sounds like Pepper," she said and shook her head.

Silence fell between them for a long moment. Bruce sipped his coffee, and Stefani stared at the far wall where a television was mounted, its dark screen mirroring the ongoing of the room. She was beginning to feel her eyelids grow heavy. The comforting feeling of her body surrendering to slumber had just begun when Bruce's voice stirred her back to reality.

"I'm sorry about your hands."

She turned her head towards him, but did not have the energy to lift it from the pillow. Examining his pained brown eyes, she felt bad for the man. She might have been locked away in Germany at the time, but everyone had followed the news of the destruction of Harlem and the fight against the green beast.

"I know," she whispered, holding his gaze for a moment. Long enough for him to frown as her words sunk in.

Stefani then turned away and allowed herself to fall asleep once more.

The next time she woke up she was staring up at ceiling lights flashing quickly above her. She squinted and looked around, recognizing Dr. Nandan among other doctors. They passed through a few doors, and into an elevator where the dark woman seemed to notice Stefani's open eyes.

"We have to take you back to the OR. You managed to tear one of your tendons again, in your sleep."

She felt numb, unable to feel the pain she knew must be present. As they arrived in the sterilized operating room, lifting her onto the table, she tried to tell them what was the problem, but her words were lost in the chaos, "Nightmares…"

Once more she plunged into a drug induced darkness.

Except that this time, though she felt her body fall into a comatose state, somehow her mind remained awake. In the darkness, she could hear the doctors speaking as they worked on repairing the damage she had inflicted on herself.

" - never see anything like it. Look at that, tore right through the stitches. She's lucky it was just the one, the way she was flailing."

"Lucky that she had a visitor to restrain her, you mean."

"You think she's likely to do it again?"

"We can't keep putting her hands back together. Let's finish this, and consider our options then."

The options did not turn out to be very appealing. Stefani felt herself being restrained to her bed, still deep under and yet present.

This time when the mixed energies from patients seeked her out, she saw them coming. Some dark, some bright, others simply lonely and wanting. They reached out and infiltrated her undefended mind, causing her body to start convulsing.

Alarms rang around the room. Hurried footsteps hailed a group of nurses and doctors ready to try and help her any way they could. Though Stefani knew it was hopeless.

With a sigh she turned away from the scene, and was shocked to find herself standing in her own hospital room looking down at her bed: her pale and exhausted body shaking under the shackles which held her down.

Doctor Nandan looking completely out of her depth and requesting a neurosurgeon on the scene. Nurses pressing buttons on various machines, pushing one syringe after another in her IV tubes.

Cringing as a patch of liquid spread around her groin, Stefani considered leaving entirely.

"Giving up already?"

Shocked, she turned around to find an elderly asian man standing in the corner of her room staring straight at her. No one else seemed to be able to see them. The man's head was almost completely shaved, all that was left were two long strands of perfectly white hair on each side of his face which reached down to his waist. He wore an elegant and intricate red and silver robe and around his throat was a beautiful golden pendant.

Stefani had the eery feeling she had seen him somewhere before.

"You have."

Eyes wide open, she stuttered, "Is...is this another nightmare?"

"Well, it doesn't seem very pleasant, does it?" he pointed to the bed and Stefani looked again.

She was surprised to find that most of the hospital staff had left. Had they not just been here a second ago? One single doctor stood with Pepper nearby, whispering to each other. Stefani approached them.

"- not unusual if she had a family history. Is there any way for you to contact them?"

Pepper shook her head, "I've known her for a few months only. I don't know anything about her past, or medical records, as I've already told you. How long will she stay in a coma?"

"We'll take her off slowly, and hope the seizures do not start again. In this case it's not just her hands we're afraid for, but her mind as well."

"Just get me out of this hospital!" Stefani cried, but though Pepper frowned and looked around the room, neither seemed to realize she was standing next to them.

"That was not a bad try," the old man said from his corner. "You want them to see, hear and understand you all at the same time though. Best to focus on only one thing at first."

She turned to him, "Who are you?"

"Oh my dear, I've had so many names over the centuries I couldn't begin to remember them all. Most call me the Ancient One nowadays. We've met before."

Doubtful, Stefani tried to think of where she could possibly know the man. As she thought, memories of her past played out in front of her, as if she were watching a series of films. She saw herself in Stark Tower, then further back in the plane to New York. At the airport in Frankfurt, on the train before that, and running away from home at the age of twenty-nine.

She saw her childhood home, a beautiful old house built three hundred years ago. Huge and domineering. Her family was there, mocking her, teasing her, her mother locking her up in her room whenever they had guests. She sat alone in the dark, her room bare except for a single bed. All her toys had been taken away, one by one, as punishment for something she could not control.

And there he was.

And old man sitting in the corner of her room, showing a five year old girl magic tricks.

"But you were not real…" she whispered and blinked, the visions dissipating like smoke around her.

"As real as I am now. You called on me often back then, and I was happy to visit. You have such talent."

"You left me!" Stefani screamed accusingly, remembering the following twenty years of loneliness in the same room. Forcing herself to behave normally, to become the daughter her mother had always wanted.

The old man shook his head sadly, "You shut me out. Unwittingly, in your efforts to subdue your affinity to the magical arts. I watched from afar, but you refused to acknowledge me."

"And now?"

"And now you are in pain, alone, and free of your past. You opened your mind to find support, but instead you found pain."

"How am I able to see this, see myself?"

"You've accidentally entered your astral form. Like this you can travel great distances, ride the astral planes. It's how I was able to visit you all those years ago."

"I need to leave this place, it needs to stop."

"You want to run away, again. I can teach you to control it, Stefani Seltsam. But you must embrace your abilities."

Shaking her head, she focused on the room around her once more. It was day time now, her body was still lying motionless and strapped to the bed. The casts around her hands protruding oddly from under the blankets. Swimming around her head she could see the dreams, hopes and fears of other, attracted to her as if she were a beacon.

"You are."

"Stop that! Stop reading my mind."

"I would not be able to, if you were able to close yourself to outside influences. I can read you as easily as all of those wandering astral energies. They are mostly harmless, projected without purpose. Most people don't even realize they release them. They are very easy to dismiss."

She glowered at the man, "Just show me."

With swiftness she was sure could not be healthy for a man his age, the Ancient One pushed himself off the wall and marched to her bedside. "Come, you will not able to do much from there."

Approaching her own body, Stefani felt the man gently take her hand, she looked down and gasped, "The casts are gone…."

"Your astral form is a reflection of your mind, your soul if you will. Physical injuries rarely alter its form."

The man leaned down and placed his free hand on top of her body's forehead. An instant later everything around her went dark and she began to panic. She felt a soft pressure on her hand, and heard the man's voice, "This is your sanctum."

She squinted in the dark, but could see nothing, "It does not feel very safe."

"Therein lies the problem. Look, those wandering projections are able to pass through as they wish in your darkness."

She looked around and spotted strands of colours which flew by. As one approached them it began to expand, opening as if a portal, inside of which she could see a stranger's celebration. A wedding perhaps. From it she felt joy, but sorrow as well. Nostalgia.

The memory grew bigger and bigger, threatening to swallow her up, when suddenly the Ancient One erupted in golden light, dispersing the darkness, and the memory, both. Lowering the arm she had held up to protect her eyes, Stefani peered at the now pure white void.

"Still so empty," she mumbled and spotted more blurbs of energy moving about in the distance.

"Yes, but less terrifying, no?"

She nodded and rubbed her hands together, unsure of what she was supposed to do now. Luckily when the next portal began to open itself, trying to swallow her, the Ancient One was ready: "Just say no."

Frowning at him and taking a step back from the advancing energy, Stefani lifted her arms to shield herself.

"You cannot be afraid all the time. It seeks you, but you can say no."

A feeble, "Please, no," escaped her lips. But the portal had grown taller than herself and she knew she would be swallowed up. She closed her eyes and waited for it to run its course.

"Don't beg it!" came the thundering voice of the man and she cracked open an eyelid to find the memory gone.

The old man's shoulders slumped and he pinched the brink of his nose, "Stefani, you're allowing them to take control. You're letting them decide what to do."

Nodding, though she was not sure she understood exactly what he meant, she dropped her arms and stood up straight. When the next one approached, she swallowed down her panic and stayed frozen in place. In her mind she focused on saying no, on not being dominated, but her mouth did not move. As the colour opened up to visions of sickness and lost hope, her courage wavered.

"No," she whispered, then tried louder, "No," but still it came.

Once again the man stepped in between and dispelled the strand into nothingness. He shot her a disappointed look, "You're much more powerful than this. I've seen it."

Again and again they tried. The strands coming in ever faster the more exhausted she became. Yet nothing she did made them vanish the way a single flick of the Ancient One's finger could. Brimming with anger and on the brink of frustrated tears, Stefani was about to lose it when she noticed something at the edge of her vision. Something green, familiar.

As she moved towards it, she heard the man's voice calling her back, "We're not finished!", but she did not stop.

The void vanished, the room returned and she stumbled to regain her footing. It was night again. Her face, illuminated by the reading lamp, looked drawn and almost translucent. Around her head the nightmares still circled, but she was not moving.

She was not tied up anymore, and the intricate cast with metal wiring had been replaced with what looked like plastic braces. The stitches she remembered being angry red and fresh just hours ago were now gone, replaced by pink scar tissue zigzagging across each hand.

Sitting on the chair at her bedside was a snoring Bruce Banner. His form diminished in sleep.

Stefani cocked her head to the side as she tried to pinpoint what seemed odd about the image in front of her. Looking down at the ground, she noticed that the shadow cast by her lamp seemed disproportionate to the man in the seat. Following the dark shape with her eyes, to the wall behind, she stifled a scream as she came face to face with a pair of blazing green eyes.

The creature growled, but did not step out of the darkness. It stared at her for a moment, its eyes roaming over her small body a few times, before it turned back to the man in the chair. An expression of concern on its monstrous features.

Stefani followed its gaze. Bruce's face contorted in his sleep and he shook his head from side to side.

She turned back to the green shadow, wide-eyed, "This is what I felt from Bruce when he looked at me in the memorial hall…You are the Hulk!"

She received a snarl for an answer. The beast did not take its eyes off its host. Approaching Bruce, Stefani noticed moving energies around the man's head. They were not like the ones she could see hovering over her bed, these were darker and did not seem interested in floating in her direction at all.

"Are you doing this to him?" she asked the beast.

The Hulk bared its teeth and shook its head violently, emitting a guttural noise that resembled no if one used enough imagination.

There was something familiar about these nightmares, something she was sure she should remember. She would be able to dive into the man's sleeping visions and find more information on his current torment. But she was too tired and too worried about her own situation.

"I can help him," she said.

The beast gave her a sideway glance, running its eyes from her head to her feet, then back again. It huffed in what she figured passed as a chuckle, and waved a dismissive hand in her direction.

"His nightmares are hurting him, I know a thing or two about nightmares. But I can't do anything from here. If I leave, I promise to help. Help me get out of here, and I will help you. Do you understand?

The Hulk leaned forward, lowering its head until it stared directly into her eyes. Once again she was shocked at how similar Bruce's and his alter ego's eyes were. The hair too. Immortalized in her painting. Yet everything else about the beast was different, distorted, an abomination of humanity.

After a long moment of contemplation, it sniffed and gave her a sharp nod.

Good enough, she thought and reached out to place a hand on the thing's giant forearm, "Please, tell Bruce to take me away from here. When I'm away, I can make it better."

From behind her she heard the Ancient One's voice, "Stefani, if you'd only listen! You can do this."

But she was not, "Hulk, take me away. Take me home."

Stefanie had to admit, she was not quite prepared for what happened next.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **I'm very sorry for the delay posting this chapter, real life did indeed get a bit crazy and I was ill the past 2 weeks. But, everything's good again!

I want to thank my reviewers again ^^ it's always awesome to hear what you guys think and read little words of encouragements.

**Chapter 3**

"Hulk, stop. Stop. STOP!"

Stefani screamed, but her orders were drowned by the sound of sirens, helicopters and screaming passerbys.

Not to mention Iron Man buzzing around the green man's head yelling at him to drop her body.

Stefani, still in her astral form, was floating over the Hulk's shoulder staring down at the scene in dismay. Later, much later, she would think back and contemplate how very careful the Hulk had been; he had broken only her hospital window and two cars so far in his attempt to fulfill his side of the deal.

Unfortunately everyone was much too busy being terrified to notice that the beast did not want any strife. And the only reason no one had started shooting at him so far, she was certain, was out of fear to hurt her body cradled in the nook of his left arm.

Giving up on speaking any sense into the creature at this point, Stefani decided to try and get back into her body. Unsure of how this should work, she focused all her energy into getting back in there and awake.

As the Hulk leaped over screeching cars, she felt herself pulled toward her body. Her perfectly uninjured incorporeal fingers brushed against her physical head and she was sucked inside her own head once more.

Immediately, an overwhelming sensation of pain exploded in her mind. So much so that she was sorely tempted on exiting again, but instead she began to try and open her eyes.

The moment she finally felt in control of her facial features once more was when everything stopped moving.

Blinking languishly to clear her vision, she was surprised to find herself in front of Stark Tower. Well, she had not specified which home he should take her to she supposed.

"Hulk," she croaked and this time he did look at her, confused, then over his shoulder where her astral figure had been before.

The sound of metal falling heavily on the pavement announced the arrival of Tony whose voice came out slightly garbled from behind the mask, "It's all good, buddy. Just put her down. She's safe here."

"Tony," Stefani tried crying out, but heard only a hoarse whisper leaving her lips.

Still, the sound drove Iron Man to take a few careful steps forward.

"I'm just checking, it's alright. Don't mean no harm, no worries Bruce. Stefani?" his face, his real face without the mask, came into view and he smiled down at her, "Hey there sleeping beauty."

"I asked him. To take me home," she was not sure he could hear her, but the look of confusion followed by a manic grin indicated he had.

"Of course. Sure you did," he then looked up to the green beast, patting him on the arm, "This is home. You're home. Come on, let's get you both inside. Though you might want to get tiny again, I don't think the doors will -"

But Hulk had already moved forward, blasting through the building entrance with a racket of twisting metal and breaking glass. Tony mumbled, "Never mind…"

Once in the lobby, the beast did not seem to know where to go. Everything was too small here, he appeared to know that home was upstairs, but he must have also realized the harm he would do trying to reach it. She watched his face scrunch up in thoughts as he looked left and right, up and down. Trying to find a solution.

"Hulk," she managed once more, gaining his attention, "here is fine. I feel better. You did good. Bruce, you did great."

A moment later she felt herself being carefully deposited on the ground. She watched the Hulk move away, replaced in her field of vision by Tony.

"Are you alright? You don't look very well, what happened? What the -" he looked away, gaping and stared straight ahead for a long moment before turning to her, "If you've ever wondered how it would look to see Hulk turn back into Bruce, don't. Just don't."

"I asked him," she repeated.

The man frowned, "To break you out? You asked the Hulk to be your taxi? Are you out of your German mind?"

Despite the comforting feeling of being once again inside her body without being assaulted by the memories of hundreds of patients, Stefani was still in pain. She stumbled on a few words before she managed to formulate her next sentence, "Do not take me back."

Tony shook his head, looked up toward the street and back down at her with a frown.

"Pepper is going to kill me," was all he said before stepping over her and heading outside where the sound of sirens was growing ever closer.

Stefani heard him yell for someone to take care of her as he went, and a moment later James, the security guard, appeared bearing a comforting smile, "Alright there Miss Seltsam?"

Providing nothing but a whimper as an answer, she was thankful to be picked up by the tall dark man and carried away from the gathering crowd outside of the Tower. As they neared the elevators though something caught her eye. Bruce was curled up on the floor, naked and barely hidden from view, "Warte. Wait. Bruce..."

James shook his clean shaved skull, "He's knocked out. Can't take you both."

"They will see him."

Shifting her body in his arms he considered his options. Finally he grumbled, "Can't say I ever wanted to pick up a naked Doctor Banner."

Once more she felt herself carefully put on the floor. She watched as James approached the unconscious doctor. The security guard rubbed his hands together, then against his pants, he looked back toward the street before rolling his eyes and grabbing the other man by one arm and hauling him in a standing position. Securing his other arm around the man's waist. Bruce's head lolled forward, his feet dragging on the stone floor as James began to move.

Stefani blushed, but did not avert her eyes as quickly as she probably should have. She blamed it on weariness.

Not long after the two men had disappeared around the corner, James returned and carried her to the elevator where Bruce was already slumped on the ground. The guard deposited her next to the doctor and punched in the number.

When the doors opened again to the Stark foyer, a very aggravated Pepper stomped in their direction.

"What is going on? Is that… Oh my god, Stefani," when James stepped out of the way the red haired stopped, "Bruce! Why? Where - I'm going to kill Tony."

But even as the words left her mouth she directed James to carry Bruce to the sofa, and she knelt down next to Stefani. Murmuring for her to hold on, the German was surprised to feel herself easily lifted in the air and brought to Pepper's bedroom.

"You are strong," she commented.

Pepper scoffed, "You're as light as a feather. What's your diet plan?"

"A few weeks in a coma."

Stefani had just been dropped down on the giving mattress when James came into the room, "Miss Potts, you got something to cover up Doctor Banner?"

"Take this one," Pepper said and moved away to give the guard a blanket before sitting down on the bed, "Are you in pain, shouldn't we call an ambulance?"

"No!" Stefani screamed, then calmed down, "No, please. Too many people there."

"But, I don't… The doctors said you were still having epileptic attacks, Stefani, you could die."

"She's not epileptic," said a voice from the doorway.

Pepper's head snapped around and both women stared at a slumping Bruce Banner, blanket held around his waist with one hand. He looked straight into her face for a moment, his eyes hard, "She's got some issues. But it's not epilepsy."

"I'll be back in a bit Stefani, rest up."

And with that Pepper stood, grabbed the diminished Hulk by one arm, and dragged him out of the room.

Left on her own, Stefani grumbled, "You can say it."

The Ancient One detached himself from the wall and lifted a single eyebrow at her comment, "And what, pray tell, should I say? You're not stupid Stefani, you knew something like this would happen. In fact, you should be relieved it went so well."

He reached down and grabbed her hand, her astral hand. There was a strange sensation of falling as he pulled her up and out of her body, and she flailed until she felt her feet land safely on the ground.

She turned to her emaciated body on the Stark marital bed and sighed, "They will know now."

"Is that so horrible? Are you so ashamed of our magic to want to hide yourself in front of others who are, in the end, exactly like yourself?"

Stefani bit down on her retort. She thought about the mural she had painted, the heroes she had painstakingly brought to life through her art. Had she not spent hours wondering about their abilities, the powers some of them displayed? Even been tempted to simply storm up to Pepper and share everything.

Looking toward the closed door, she wondered if she had possibly ruined any chance she had of seeing her hopes come true, "Doctor Banner appeared quite mad."

"No one appreciates being tampered with. Let alone a man as conflicted as Bruce Banner. He spends his every waking hour trying to come to terms with who he is, making sure he doesn't hurt anyone. You compromised that."

She squirmed under his scrutiny, but said nothing. She did not feel that she had endangered anyone. The whole thing had been terrifying, but she was certain she would have died had she remained in that hospital.

"Hulk was willing to help me, it...he understood."

"You can't be sure of that, and now you've gone and promised Bruce Banner's alter ego something you don't even know if you can achieve."

It was true. In her desperation she would have promised anyone anything, but in the end she could not even stop the most benign of energies from entering her mind. What chance could she have of helping Bruce?

She moved to the large window overlooking New York city. Military helicopters still circled the area, the streets below were jammed packed with police and armored vehicles; all because of her. Now in her astral form, she could also perceived the excited auras of the crowd below, the nervous and even hateful energies spiraling around Stark Tower.

Was the one who had been haunting Bruce at the hospital down there? Could she recognize him?

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned to her once imaginary friend and leaned into the touch.

"I can teach you," he started, "But you have to listen to me, trust me. You can't just go waking up other people's demons whenever it suits you."

"It did not suit me! I was -"

"-in danger, yes, you've made that very clear. Stefani listen to me, if you accept me as a teacher, there is something you have to understand. There will come a time, multiple times, in your future where you will be in grave danger. I will not waste my time and knowledge on a woman who is more concerned about her own well being than the well being of those around her."

"You think you could have a place on that mural you painted? You don't. Not now. Not like this. Would you have carried that nuclear warhead into the wormhole? Would you have put your life on the line facing the Chitauri with nothing but your bare hands?"

His face lost its warmth as he spoke, and his brown eyes hardened. She no longer saw a gentle grandfather, but a weathered veteran who had seen too many battles in his impossibly long life.

Stefani averted her gaze, instead focusing on the mayhem outside. For a long while they stood in silence, until she felt herself yawn.

"You should sleep."

"How can I be tired in this form?"

"It is not only your body which needs rest, but your mind and soul as well. Go back, shut everything off, and rest."

Slumping toward the bed, feeling herself pulled by an invisible force back to her body as if it was calling her, she stopped short of plunging back inside, "Will you be here again when I wake up?"

For a moment of panic she thought he would say no. That she had ruined her chance of learning control of her powers once and for all. The same anger and sadness from her childhood when she had thought he had first abandoned her swelled up in her heart.

But he nodded, "I will be."

"Thank you," she whispered, fighting to keep the sudden flood of relief under control.

Her fall back into physical form felt awkward and rushed, like a tumble down a flight of stairs. And as soon as she was unified once again, her mind shut down completely, desperate for rest.

When her eyes opened to the real world again, the room was much darker. Pushing herself up with the help of her elbows, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked out the window.

The sun was setting. Gone were the helicopters, and the sound of sirens had died down. Struggling to her feet and shuffling closer, she confirmed that the mayhem of earlier had vanished.

The sound of shouting reached her ears from beyond the leaned to door.

"-don't need another Harlem incident! This is -"

"-no right! Will not let you -"

"-doesn't belong here-"

Moving as quickly as her weakened body allowed her, Stefani opened the door with her foot, nearly keeling over from the effort, and stumbled her way into the living room.

Directly in front of her Tony was arguing with a tall black man she did not know. He was dressed in a black uniform, with an eye patch, shaved head and what must have been the most furious frown she had ever seen nestled between his brow.

Sitting down on the far side and staring blankly ahead as if blocking out his surroundings was Bruce, dressed once more.

Pepper was standing with her arms crossed at the back of the room, her eyes drifting between the sitting man to the arguing pair. Until she spotted her.

"Stefani!" immediately the room fell silent and all heads turned to her. Pepper leaped in her direction, placing a hand on her shoulder and looking into her face, "How are you feeling?"

In truth she was starving, needed to go to the bathroom, and her arms were beginning to itch under the plastic braces. But she forced a smile and answered, "Just fine. What's going on?"

"Nothing that concerns you," the stranger said in a gruff voice. He looked down at Tony, "She the one the Hulk dragged across New York like King Kong?"

"Far as I remember King Kong also didn't hurt anyone till people started shooting at him. Sound familiar?" Tony snapped back.

"Tony, you know I have been patient with the both of you. I've allowed Doctor Banner to roam freely, and even come to New York. But only so long as I did not think he posed any threat. And now that's changed. Coming here was a bad idea! He needs to relocate."

"In a SHIELD jail, is that it?"

"That is not what I said."

As the men's argument degraded into a shouting match once more, Pepper attempted to guide her back into the bedroom. But Stefani shrugged away, marching straight toward the stranger instead, "Bruce is not responsible."

Neither men seemed to notice her. Clenching her teeth and trying to put a lid on her anger, she tried again.

Nothing.

Finally she took a deep breath and yelled, "Könntet ihr beide mal die Schnauze halten!?"

They both turned toward her. Tony shocked. The other man with a one-eyed withering stare.

"Danke. So," she paused, uncomfortable, "As I said, Bruce did not do anything. I mean, he is not the one who changed into the Hulk. No, what I want to say is-"

"Look ma'am, I'm not sure what you do or don't know. But please, go back to that room and let us deal with this, alright?"

Stefani felt hot rage boiling in her chest. Yes, she was not being coherent, yes she was standing in a ridiculous hospital robe shouting German insults, but that was no reason to dismiss her in such a manner.

He sounded like her mother.

The energy pulse which left her wounded hands and knocked the man clean off his feet, sending him sprawling on the ground, had not exactly been deliberate. It had not been entirely accidental either.

Tony did not move; he turned to her and gave a low whistle of appreciation. As the stranger gained his feet once more, Tony tapped Stefani on the shoulder, "Do it again, do it again!"

She glared at him as she lowered her hand, "Will you now listen?"

It did not escape her that the stranger had moved his own hand to his hip, where she could see a gun holster, "How 'bout you start with telling me your name?"

"I am Stefani Valeria Seltsam. And yourself?"

"Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD. You might have heard of us."

"I have not. Director Fury, what I was attempting to say, was that Bruce Banner did not transform into the Hulk through any fault of his own. I am afraid that in my desperation to get away from the hospital, I asked the Hulk to help me. And he agreed."

Both men stared at her blankly. It was Bruce's voice which broke the silence, "You what?!"

She turned to him, her shoulders slumping and wishing she could cross her arms over her chest, "Yes, but I was in danger."

"You were in danger? You?! That's rich! What about the millions of people on the street, what about Tony and Pepper? Are you absolutely insane?"

The doctor had raised from his seat and advanced until he loomed over her. Stefani refused to take a step back, but she lowered her head miserably at his anger, "I was dying… No one could see me."

Tony cut in, "You see Fury? Nothing to worry about! Bruce is fine, no Hulk threat. Everyone's happy, could you leave now?"

The director raised his eyebrow, "You mean to tell me that you're not the least bit worried about having a woman, a stranger, in your home with the ability to ask favors of the Hulk? Like a trained dog?"

"Hey!" three voices exclaimed at once. Bruce, apparently taken aback by the unified support, kept quiet and looked at the three of them curiously.

Fury sighed, and turned to Pepper, "We are giving you enough leeway as it is. You can't expect me to keep everyone at bay while you collect a group of people in your house with enough force to any wreck any nation on the planet."

"Technically it's a tower, and might I remind you that you're the one who started all of this? Besides, there's nowhere better for her to be is there? Since you're obviously keeping such close tabs on us," Pepper replied, head high.

Tony beamed at his girlfriend. Fury pinched the bridge of his nose. Stefani was certain her bladder would rupture right here, right now, in front of everyone.

"I am sending a team around tomorrow to check up on her, and you had all better be here and willing. Is that understood?"

Four heads bobbed up and down.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say. Now, could we get back to how you were leaving?" Tony pointed to the elevator, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

And so he left.

And so the remaining individuals all seemed to take a simultaneous step away from Stefani.

And she looked at all of them, dead serious, and stated:

"I really need to pee."


End file.
